If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. That's why when we briefly looked at Aier Eye Hospital Group's (SZSE:300015) ROCE trend, we were very happy with what we saw.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Aier Eye Hospital Group:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.20 = CN¥4.8b ÷ (CN¥30b - CN¥6.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2023).

Thus, Aier Eye Hospital Group has an ROCE of 20%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 11% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Aier Eye Hospital Group

In the above chart we have measured Aier Eye Hospital Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Aier Eye Hospital Group here for free.

So How Is Aier Eye Hospital Group's ROCE Trending?

In terms of Aier Eye Hospital Group's history of ROCE, it's quite impressive. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 20% and the business has deployed 216% more capital into its operations. Returns like this are the envy of most businesses and given it has repeatedly reinvested at these rates, that's even better. If Aier Eye Hospital Group can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.

In Conclusion...

In short, we'd argue Aier Eye Hospital Group has the makings of a multi-bagger since its been able to compound its capital at very profitable rates of return. And the stock has done incredibly well with a 101% return over the last five years, so long term investors are no doubt ecstatic with that result. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.

While Aier Eye Hospital Group looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether 300015 is currently trading for a fair price.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high returns on equity.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.